Buckle.



No. 7|3,569. Patented Nov. ll, I902.

J. F. MOLLOY.

BUCKLE.

(Application filed In. 18, 1901.)

(No Model.)

7 2o 6, a plan view of the blank from which the '50 ed into the body-plate 3, as clearly shown in UNTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. MOLLOY, OF \VEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ALFRED A. ASTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,569, dated November 1 1, 1 902.

Application filed March 18, 1901- To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES F. MOLLOY, of Vest Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new 5 and useful Improvement in Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the numerals of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent,in

Figure 1, a view in front elevation of a buckle,illustrating one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2, a rear view of the same; Fig. 3, a view in vertical section on the line (L b of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of the body-plate; Fig. 5, a similar view of the lever or other member of the buckle; Fig.

body-plate is formed.

My invention relates to buckles, and particularly to that class of buckles in which one of the members consists of a lever which is fulcrumed to the other member and has one of its arms adapted to engage with and disengage from said other member.

Some of the objects of my invention are to provide such abuckle that will be strong and durable and avoid all liability of its members becoming separated and also one that can have each of its members struck up from one piece of thin sheet metal.

My invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, as herein described.

The upper bar 2 of the buckle is formed integral with the body-plate 3 thereof by taking a blank like that, for instance, shown by Fig. 6 of the drawings and makingaslit ethrough said blank longitudinally with the same near one of its edges and preferably parallel with the same and then extending said slit from each' of its ends transversely and in a direction away from said ends and preferably extending inward or toward each other. The blank having been slitted as described, its upper edge is set forward and by preference turned over into a plane at a right angle to the plane of the blank, which is thus convert- Fig. at. A space 5 for the upward passage of $eria1N0. 51,691- (No model.)

webbing is thus formed between the bar and the body-plate, as shown in Fig. 4. The said bar is supported at. its ends by supportingarms 2 which merge into the body-plate and which originally formed the upper corners of the blank. The lower portion of the blank is formed with a long web-receiving slot 6, resulting in the production of the lower bar 7, which lies in the plane of the bodyplate. Theintegral ears 8 of the sheet-metal lever 9 are bent around the ends of the bar 2, the supporting-arms 2 of which prevent the sidewise movement of the lever. The setting off of the upper bar 2 from the plane of the body-plate 3 forms a wide tongue 10 or, so to speak, abutment at the top of the body-plate, this tongue being slightly turned forward, as shown in Fig. 4:, for coaction with the teeth 11 of the lever 9 in gripping the webbing.

It will thus be seen that my improved buckle consists of only two partsnamely, the body-plate and the leverand that its construction is not only in every way very simple, but that it is strong and effective. My improvement might also be described as a buckle comprising a base or frame member 3 and a lever-clamping member 9, said base member having a longitudinal slit 4: and two transverse slits 4 meeting said longitudinal slit and the portions of the base around said slits turned up, whereby the part of the base between the slits will form a tongue 10, and the portions around said slits will form a cross-bar 2 and end supports 2, with said bar crossing the tongue and the clamping memher 9 fulcrumed to said bar, whereby said clamping member may be securely held to the base member 3 and thejaw of said clamping member be made to engage with and disengage from said tongue 10.

The frame, body-plate, or back, compris ing one member of the buckle, consists of a lower cross-bar for the attachment of the webbing, another (upper) cross bar and tongue or apron deflected to one side and beyond said bar, and all of said parts being unbroken, solid, and integral, and integral with each other. The other or pivot member of the buckle is provided with cars which are bent around the upper cross-bar of the other member, forming eyes through which said cross-bar passes, and a part adapted to operate against the apron of the frame member.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes from the construction herein shown and described may be made, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact form shown, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A sheet-metal buckle having its bodyplate formed with an integral horizontal top bar set ofi from the upper edge of the plate at or substantially at a right angle to the plane thereof, so as to form a space between it and the same, and the said plate being also formed with two supporting-arms set off from the edges of the plate and merging into the ends of the said bar which they support and the said plate having its upper edge turned forward into the said space to form a tongue for coaction with the lever pivoted to the said bar.

2. A buckle comprising a base or frame member and a lever-clamping member, said base member having a longitudinal slit and two transverse slits meeting said longitudinal slit, and the portions of the base around said slits turned up, whereby the part ofthe base between the slits will form a tongue, and the portions around said slits will form a cross-bar and end supports, with said bar crossing the tongue, and the clamping member fulcru med to said bar, whereby said clamping member may be securely held to the base member, and the jaw of said clamping member be made to engage with and disengage from said tongue.

3. In a buckle, the base or frame member consisting of a single flat piece of sheet metal havinga longitudinal slit and two transverse slits meeting said longitudinal slit, and the portions of the base around said slits turned up, whereby the part of the base between the slits will form a tongue, and the portions around said slits will form a cross-bar and end supports, with said bar crossing the tongue.

4. A buckle comprising a base or frame member and a lever-clamping member, said base member provided with a tongue, and a bar integral with said member extending across and above the surface of said tongue, and the clamping member fulcrumed to said bar, whereby said clamping member may be securely held to the base member, and the jaw of said clamping member be made to engage with and disengage from said tongue.

5. A buckle comprising a base or frame member and a lever-clamping member, said base member provided with a-tongue, and a bar extending across and above the surface of said tongue, and said tongue and bar being integral with said member, and the clamping member fulcrumed to said bar, whereby said clamping member may be securely held to the base member, and the jaw of said clamping member be made to engage with and disengage from said tongue.

6. A sheetmetal buckle having a plate formed with an integral horizontal top bar set off from the upper surface of the plate at or substantially at a right angle to said surface so as to form a space between it and the same, and the said plate being also formed with two supporting-arms set off from the edges of the plate and merging into the ends of said bar which they support, and the said plate adapted for coaction with the lever pivoted t0 the said bar.

7. A suspender-buckle comprising a frame of one piece consisting of a back having a transverse solid bar, an apron integral with said frame deflected to one side and beyond the said bar and a clamping-lever hinged to said bar adapted to operate against the apron.

8. In a suspender-buckle, a frame made of a single piece and comprising an unbroken upper and lower cross-bar forming in one instance a pivot for a clamping-lever and in the other instance means for attachment of a web, an apron integral with said frame deflected above and to one side of one of said bars and a clamping-lever hinged to this one of said bars.

9. A buckle-frame comprising a back having integral unbroken upper and lower crossbars forming in one instance a rigid pivot for a lever and in the other an unbroken bar for the attachment of a suspender-web, an apron integral with and deflected to one side of the pivot crossbar, substantially as shown and described.

10. A buckle-frame formed of one piece comprising unbroken upper and lower crossbars, forming in one instance a rigid pivotfor a lever and in the other a rigid bar for the attachment of a Suspender-web, an apron integral with and deflected to one side of the pivot cross-bar, a clamping-lever having eyes to encircle said pivot-bar, substantially as shown and described.

11. A suspender-lmckle frame including integral solid transverse bars one for the attachment of a lever and the other for a web, and an apron also formed integral with said frame deflected upward from between the bars adjacent to and above one of said bars, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAS. F. MOLLOY.

\Vitnesses:

THOS. F. MoLLoY, CHAS. MENGE. 

